So A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



constituted. In addition to a clerk of the course, 

 there may also be a "clerk of the scales": that 

 is, a person entrusted with the important duty of 

 weighing out and weighing in the jockeys, before 

 and after riding, and seeing that each rider carries 

 the exact weight apportioned to him. 



The handicapper is an important functionary. 

 Clerks of the course often officiate in the capacity 

 of handicappers, or adjusters of the weights ; 

 sometimes, too, the office of handicapper and 

 judge are combined ; indeed, at some race 

 meetings, the whole three offices are occasionally 

 conjoined in one person ; in theatrical parlance, 

 the clerk of the course very often " doubles " the 

 office of judge and handicapper. During a race 

 meeting lasting over three or four days, the 

 handicapper finds plenty of work, as, in addition 

 to having apportioned weights to all the horses 

 engaged in the larger handicaps, nurseries, and 

 sweepstakes, many days, in some cases months, 

 before the date of the meeting, he has to adjust 

 the weights for those races which are run from 

 day to day, for which horses are not entered 

 till the evening before the day on which they are 

 to run. 



A handicapper must be resourceful and ever 

 on the alert, ready on every opportunity to 

 display, in practical fashion, his abounding know- 

 ledge of the qualities and previous achievements 

 of horses, so as to be able to place the various 

 animals on an equality in an overnight handicap. 

 Race meetings are largely dependent on "the go"^ 

 and ability of the person engaged as handicapper, 

 because owners and trainers are a rather jealous 

 class, and quite able to detect at once, and resent. 



